No matter what Icona Pop ever do, the conversation will always come back to “I Love It,” the 2012 triple-platinum mega-hit featuring Charli XCX that was pretty much everywhere for a good 15-month period. We’re surprised it’s still not playing on movie trailers and summer mix tapes. Everyone loved it.
The Swedish pop duo dropped a new album (2013’s This Is… Icona Pop) and a few similarly flavored singles while “I Love It” was still marinating, but nothing stuck quite like the ubiquitous electro-pop banger. And that’s expected, as it’s tough to follow-up a track that should reappear in five years on many on Best of 2010s lists.
So what’s Aino Jawo and Caroline Hjelt to do?
According to new single “Emergency”, the answer is shift gears completely. The summer-sprinkled jazz-pop ear worm has more in common with Miley Cyrus and Elle King than Tove Lo or Robyn, and features guest vocals from fellow Swede Erik Hassle. It’s a bit twangy, has a galloping beat/piano/horn section vibe going on, and abandons the fat, fuzzy electro sound the duo was known for. Even Jawo and Hjelt’s cheerleader style vocals have been toned down a bit.
It’s a gamble, but a necessary one.
Icona Pop are currently in the studio working on new material, and we’re told that new live dates will be announced soon. In the meantime we have this kinda weird new single, and while it might take a few spins to realize whether or not we love it, it’s nice to see Icona Pop shaking things up a bit.
They kinda had to.